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YouthSeen, a center for LGBTQ+ youth in Denver, is closing its doors indefinitely after a burglar broke in on Sunday and stole nearly $10,000.
YouthSeen has made the difficult decision to close its office in Colorado after it was broken into and robbed on Sunday.
A center for LGBTQ+ youth in Denver is closing its doors indefinitely after a burglar broke in on Sunday and stole nearly $10,000.
YouthSeen, a nonprofit that provides mental health and wellness services to queer youth in 10 states, announced that it has made the difficult decision to close its office in Colorado's capitol after it was broken into and robbed over the weekend. The local branch's safe was stolen, which contained nearly $10,000, an iPad, and the keys and registration to a vehicle.
"Not only are we an LGBTQ organization, but we also focus on LGBTQ youth of color, and we don't have a lot of resources within our state and within the nation," founder and executive director Tara Jae told CBS News. "I keep going back and forth with a lot of sadness, a lot of anger, disappointment, and also just having a lot of clarity on where we are in the world right now."
Security video from the office shows a man entering and carrying the safe out. The man has been identified as 58-year-old Stephen Guerra, who was found by law enforcement in a stolen Toyota RAV4 with two empty cash boxes that had been damaged. He is currently being held on second-degree burglary charges.
While YouthSeen cannot continue its in-person services for youth in the area, it expects to offer online services again soon. The organization, which operates primarily online, also does not intend to reopen the building or expand to another physical location for the foreseeable future.
"We want to make sure that if we are welcoming people in, that it is safe, and at this point, it's not," Jae said. "So if people can give, that is awesome. Anything helps at this point."
To learn more about YouthSeen or to donate, visit youthseen.org.
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